Anchored together in one moment
by lovevigilante03
Summary: Callie/Arizona fanfic. First shot at fanfic. Looking to continue/improve. Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think!
1. Chapter 1

**_Breathing out a sigh, Callie felt an unwavering weight pull at her eyelids. She was exhausted. It had been three days since she had a decent night of sleep, and she wasn't sure if she would ever be able to sleep peacefully again. She looked down at her phone screen; it blinked 3:34 AM._**

_Arizona picked up her pager letting out a groan. She already knew that an inevitable trip to the hospital would follow the loud beeping. Attempting to blink herself awake, her hand blindly searched for her pants on the ground. Throwing on what she thought was her shirt, she looked down to find herself dressed in the too small top that belonged the woman snoring next to her. She let out another loud groan as she threw the shirt off, cursing at herself for being a doctor._

_Despite the late night, 3 AM calls however Arizona knew she would never trade-in her career._

"Karev, what's going on? You paged me 911" She looked at the tired resident that stood in front of her. He was frantically flipping through charts—an obvious habit of sleep deprivation.

"There was a collision. Sedan vs semi. The winner is obvious. A little girl was in the backseat, barely a year old, massive head and internal trauma. She has broken bones and a punctured lung." Arizona's heart dropped at the news. There just _had_ to be a baby girl in the backseat. This little girl hadn't even begun to experience the world, and she probably wouldn't.

"Okay. Book it to the OR, scrub in. We are going to need Teddy for cardio consult, Shepherd for neuro, and page Grey for backup. We are working on a very time-sensitive clock here!" She ran to the scrub room, all the while thinking that this little girl would need a miracle to survive.

"DR. TORRES….DR. TORRES CAN YOU HEAR ME?" Callie blinked at the piercingly bright light that blinded her vision. Reality slapped her across the face in one quick strike.

"Dr. Torres, we need you to remain calm. You have been in an accident, and we need to examine you."

_What happened. She was lying down on a bed. She was in a hospital, but not the one she knew. They had been driving in a car…a rental car…. There was a flash of lights and now she was here…..oh god, Sofia was in the back seat. Where was Sofia now?  
_

Panic began to set in and Callie jolted up with the rush of emotions that stung her. She needed to find her baby, she needed to see her baby.

"Where is my baby?! WHERE IS MY BABY?!" She began to yell and her mind spiraled into hysterics. _Sofia was just a year old. She needed to know if her baby was alive. Her sweet, happy baby that loved to nuzzle into her neck before a nap. Her baby that giggled at a game of peek-a-boo. Her baby that made eating green, split pea, gunk look cute. **Her** baby._

The pain that ached at her side didn't stop Callie from trying to get off the hospital bed.

"Dr. Torres, you need to calm down. Your baby is with one of the country's greatest pediatric surgeons. Once you have been examined, you can go see her." The doctors tried to restrain the hysterical patient.

Callie's eyes began to sting as she felt tears burn her face. _Why wouldn't these people let her see her baby? She needed to help her baby. _As she continued to struggle free, a rush of pain shot to her head. Her eyes rolled back and her body into shock.

"SHE'S CODING."


	2. Chapter 2

_****Short chapter. Please, let me know what you think. I'm still very new to FanFic writing. Feedback will determine the continuation of this story. Thanks for reading~~! ****_

The sun was remarkably bright. She could feel the warmth permeate through her body. Her toes curled into the sand and she could hear the ocean waves against the shore. After breathing in the salted breeze, Callie opened her eyes with a slight smile on her lips.

In the distance she saw a faint figure walking in her direction. At first she couldn't recognize the woman, but as she got closer Callie knew exactly who it was. The seedling of smile blossomed into a grin as she stood up with a rush of excitement.

But then suddenly the woman was gone. Callie searched in every direction consciously ignoring that the beach was completely deserted. _Where did she go? She just disappeared, and without even saying anything to me. _

The sunlight beat down on her and sweat beads began to form. A wave of anxiety echoed through her body.

She heard splashing. Her gaze immediately shot to the water, where she saw the woman waist-deep in the waves. _You're too far out! Come back! _She wanted to scream, but the words wouldn't leave her lips. Feeling her knees buckle, Callie fell into a kneel. Reaching out her arms in an effort to do something, _anything_ Callie felt her whole body pulsate into sobs.

"Dr. Torres? Dr. Torres? Can you hear me? Open your eyes please open your eyes."

Callie's body trembled at the touch of the voice. Unwilling to leave the woman Callie fought hard against the sand attempting to drag herself towards the water, but any amount of strength wouldn't move her body.

"DR. TORRES, STAY WITH US. DON'T YOU DARE DIE ON US."

Choking on her tears, Callie's eyes fluttered open.

"Okay, she's back!"


	3. Chapter 3

Arizona's eyes were heavy with exhaustion, slightly reddened with the strain of surgery. She stood, scrub-cap still on, looking at the tiny human laying in front of her. Even with the tubes and wires, this baby was beautiful.

"That was one hell of a surgery, Robbins." Arizona spun around to face the Chief.

"Thank you, sir" she smiled and then returned her glance back to the raven-haired infant. "She's a fighter. A real fighter." She lightly brushed a small hand with her own. Stirring at the touch, the baby instinctively fastened her hand around one of Arizona's fingers in a tight grip.

"Whenever you're ready, the mother is awake." The Chief walked away leaving Arizona and the baby alone.

After another five minutes, Arizona finally broke her gaze and reluctantly pulled her hand away from the baby. "Don't worry. I'll be back," she whispered.

Callie stared blankly at the buzzing fluorescent lights that hung above her. She had an IV in her left arm, a cast on her right. In one quick motion she tried to sit up, but a pain resonated in her lower abdomen. Looking down she saw bandages wrapped around her mid-section. They were now spotted with blood.

A nurse hurriedly ran into the room, after hearing the cry that left Callie's mouth.

Callie closed her eyes to ignore the pain, but she still didn't understand why she was here…in a strange hospital and with these strangers. The shock of the accident still plagued her. She couldn't rid herself of the confusion. _She remembered sitting on the beach, she remembered the waves…...she remembered screaming towards the waves….splashing in the waves…..no no that couldn't be right….._

"Dr. Torres, don't sit up so quickly. You will rip your sutures! Please try and calm down." The nurse's words had no effect on the crying brunette. Callie's own thoughts were louder than the seemingly muffled voice of the nurse beside her. _What had happened?_

The fact that she couldn't piece together the accident only made Callie more upset. She frantically searched her mind for a reason, crying at her own ineptitude.

Arizona could hear the sobs even before she turned the corner into the hallway. Quickening her pace, she stepped closer and closer to Callie's room. Once outside the door, she didn't wait to enter.

Arizona's first image of Callie Torres, was that of a woman in a fierce fight with herself. Cheeks flushed with the heat of pain played a nice contrast to the black hair frazzled from distress. For a second Arizona could only stand there, staring at Callie in intrigue.

Studying Callie's face, Arizona read tension in it... stress…pain. _Why was this woman fighting so hard? _Waiting no longer she jumped-in to help the struggling nurse.

"Dr. Torres," Arizona approached the bedside. "It's okay..." She paused to place a hand on Callie's shoulder. "You and your baby are okay. Don't worry, everything is okay..." Callie opened her eyes at the stranger's touch. Watery brown met piercing blue and Callie's thoughts stopped.

"Hi. I'm Dr. Robbins, head of Pediatrics….uh, Sofia's doctor."

At the mention of her daughter, Callie's mind focused back into reality. Arizona nervously smiled and continued.

"I have good news," she said brightly. "Your daughter came out of surgery with flying colors. She was amazing…not that you don't know that….She hasn't opened her eyes yet, but I can tell she's looking for you." Callie continued to stare at the woman. Her voice was soft, calming. "Well….then I guess I will leave you to rest." As she turned to walk away, Arizona felt a hand catch her wrist.

"Please, stay." Callie's voice was hoarse, but she managed to speak. "Tell me about _her_ surgery."

Surprised by the action, Arizona froze. For a long moment, they stood—Callie's hand on Arizona's wrist. Neither woman moved.

Recognizing the obvious tension, the nurse carefully made her exit. She laughed to herself. _Dr. Robbins just dove into a beautiful puddle of trouble. _


	4. Chapter 4

***~~~~ Not a long chapter. Trying to increase my word count, but I find it so easy to break things where I do :P Reviews are appreciated. There are big things to come for Callie, and I am working on Arizona-centered story lines as well. Thanks for reading :) PLEASE leave comments!~~~~*****

Arizona broke the silence with a cough to clear her throat. Without pulling away, she sat down on the bedside chair. By then, unknowingly, the two women were holding hands.

"When Sofia first came into the hospital, I wasn't sure that she would make it." She drew in a deep breath. The warmth of Callie's hand was unmistakably unique and she felt her heartbeat quicken.

"She had multiple traumatic injuries, including a punctured lung." Callie inhaled sharply, visualizing Sofia's pain. "But….I managed to stop the bleeders with the help of the other heads of departments. She came out of surgery with a strong heartbeat and steady vitals. She will have to be under observation for a little while, but I'll take good care of her."

Their eyes met. Arizona bit her bottom lip out of nervous habit as she felt herself slip further away into the moment.

"OH MY GOD! I heard that it was you in the accident, but I shrugged Karev off because he's always pulling shit from his ass. And I didn't believe it until I saw your name on Chief Weber's charts. I can't believe it's _you!_**The** Calliope Torres, Miami's claim to fame. You are a god in the Ortho world and and your TED Talk on regenerative cartilage. I mean, talk about kicking major ass."

Startled by the interruption, hands dropped. Arizona felt the warmth disappear almost instantly.

Callie stared at the eager, Asian woman standing in front of her. More startling than her intrusion was the fact that this woman…,this doctor, knew who she was.

"I'm Christina Yang," Christina held out her hand to Callie in a gesture to connect fan to idol. "I'm not in Ortho, but I considered it because of you." Hesitantly Callie took hold of Christina's hand, which in turn shook furiously to indicate excitement.

Callie stared at this whirlwind of a woman. Christina had not only ended her moment with Arizona, but also had resurfaced her life in Miami.

"It's nice to meet you, Dr. Yang." Callie's voice was weak and tinted with hesitancy. "I'm surprised you know who I am. I did that talk _years_ago…." She stopped herself before she could define exactly how many years it had been.

Arizona sat frozen in her chair. She didn't want to linger, yet she didn't want to leave. As Callie and Christina spoke, she alternated glances between the two. Usually Christina limited her talk to snide remarks, but today she was frustratingly chatty.

As if both Callie and Arizona could sense each other's discomfort, they met gazes. They remained like-so as Christina continued her monologue recounting Callie's work.

"But then, you stopped practicing because of your wife?" Callie felt her stomach drop. Arizona's curiosity stirred.

"I think I read that somewhere. Other sources said you quit to have a baby, but I don't believe that. I mean, Callie Torres could be pregnant with ten kids and still regenerate cartilage. The wife theory is more believable."

Callie tightly closed her eyes. She wanted Christina to stop.

Tears, as uncontrollable as they were inevitable, pushed through its eyelid-barriers.

_Her life began to painfully trickle back into memory. The trickle was cold, biting….and the sound too familiar. Drip. Drip. Drip._


	5. Chapter 5

**~~**I apologize for the shortened chapter. This week and next I will be travelling, so I wanted to leave you with at least something. Thank you for your comments and for the reads, I am so very grateful. The plot and story line are beginning to thicken, I am excited to see where this goes. Please please please leave me comments :) Thank you for being awesome!**~~ P.S. This is a flashback ! **

Unlocking_ the door to her apartment, she felt the day's weight sink into every muscle of her body. A faint noise occupied her attention, but only for a second as it shifted back to the exhaustion. Dropping all her belongings on the couch, Callie made stride toward the kitchen. She needed one thing only—a glass of wine._

_Uncorking the bottle she quickly poured herself a glass. The distant sound she had heard before became more prominent now. Listening sharply, she identified it as a drip-like noise….a trickle._

_The faucet must have not been shut off properly. Or worse, it was leaking again. Callie sighed at this thought remembering the last time she had to call the super to fix the leak. It took at least a month and a half before anyone came to look at it, and then another month to fix it._

_It was at this moment Callie realized the purse in front of the bedroom door—its contents strewn across the hallway._

_She felt her body shiver, cold with dreadful anticipation of what was to come. Callie uncontrollably felt her body rush toward the bedroom. Knocking over a stool on her way, she didn't turn around only continuing her heartbreaking effort toward an icy reality._

_The thoughts were too many, the seconds too few. __A cold sweat formed and her heart began to race. __What was a five-second walk from the bedroom door to the bathroom's, became a stretch across hours. She __hoped…she prayed…_

_Throwing open the door, Callie saw the sink trickling. Drip…drip… Looking down to the floor, the scene was frozen in a moment. Two empty pill bottles in the lifeless grasp of pale hands—Susanna's pale hands._


	6. Chapter 6

**~~~~**~~~~ Hello friends! Here is the next update, and please leave your comments :) I have a lot in mind for what's coming next, sorry for the delay in update. BUT from here on out, I will try to upload weekly. Thanks for the reads! Message me your thoughts or leave them in the reviews!~~~~~**~~~~~**

Callie's heavy sighs quickly transitioned into sobs. The mention of her wife had cut the mood in one quick blow—harsh and defining. Vulnerability permeated throughout Callie's body and the walls of her past began to rapidly repossess her.

Staring blankly, Christina stood-by watching the scene unravel. She couldn't comprehend this degree of emotion and surely didn't recognize she was the cause of it.

Arizona, however, could grasp the sensitivity that surrounded the mystery of Callie's wife. Seeing the pain flush across the brunette's face was heart-wrenching, and Arizona was at a loss—she didn't know how to console Callie.

Pulling Christina by the arm, Arizona stepped for the door.

"Christina, we need to go." Though there would be no response from her dumbstruck colleague, Arizona didn't wait for one. She knew one thing: she needed to get Christina far, far away.

Looking towards Callie, Arizona longed to reassure her in any possible way she could.

"I'll be back," she softly spoke before exiting the room, Christina behind her.

* * *

Callie's mind continued its pitfall into memories…

The next thing Callie can ever remember is the ER. Doctors in white coats, just like hers, crowded around her wife's body. The lights were buzzing overheard, and in that moment, that was all Callie could hear.

_It was never this bad. Sure, Susanna had her bad days…but she was never __**this**__ bad. _

_Callie couldn't comprehend the depths of her wife's depression. Though she tried her best to trace it, the roots were far beneath any fathomable threshold. One day her wife was warm, bright—the woman she had fallen in love with…happy in every sense of the word. But on the bad days she was cold, distant, unresponsive. _

_The pills well, they were always there. In the beginning, they were for her "nerves". Then as more time passed and the barriers as strangers blurred, the pills became like any other habit—not a lot of attention paid to it. _

_They were so happy then, despite the every-so-often bad days. Every couple has its moods, Callie thought. She ignored all indications, because __**this**__ woman she loved and so very deeply._

* * *

As the crying subsided, Arizona stopped before re-entering Callie's room. Catching her breath, she reasoned with herself to wait at least another thirty seconds. She tapped her foot against the tile floor, waiting for the time-test to pass.

Her phone rang. Hurriedly picking it up to silence the noise, she whispered into the phone.  
"Hello? Who is this?" Arizona hissed. The unexpected call had caught her off guard and almost compromised her location to the patient at the other end of her countdown.

"Arizona, why are you whispering?" A husky voice laughed into the phone. "And you should know who this is…considering how many times you said my name earlier today." The woman laughed again, obviously pleased with herself.

Arizona's eyes widened at realization.

"Ohhhh…Colleen….Hi, um, hey what's up?" Arizona tried to mask her surprise.

"Well, I was wondering if you are ever coming back to bed tonight. It's getting cold and really boring here all by myself," the voice teasing in tone. Arizona's mind however was preoccupied by any possibility that Callie could hear the flirty exchange.

"Umm…yeah I'm sorry I had to leave. I probably won't be back tonight, so don't wait up." Arizona heard the breath of disappointment. "Sorry, babe. I'll call you later." She didn't wait for the other end to say her goodbye and quickly clicked the END button onscreen.

By now the thirty seconds _had _to be done. Even after the husky invitation Arizona had just received, her thoughts quickly refocused to Callie Torres. Quietly slipping into the dim-lit room, Arizona saw that Callie was now calm and rid of upset. Tousled curls framed her face, and her eyes were settled on something in-hand.

Carefully approaching the bedside, Arizona saw that it was a piece of jewelry.

"She gave it to me..." Callie whispered. Arizona froze in her steps. "She…I mean, Susanna gave it to me for our anniversary." Callie paused. Her fingers twiddled with the silver vestige, and then tightly closed around it. "She had it engraved for me before she left…..before it all."

Slowly, Arizona felt her body slump into the bedside chair. This time her hand at her own side.

"It says…" Callie choked. "To the one that shared my heart—I love you even in my darkest despairs. I'm sorry, a thousand million times."

The two women sat in silence—Arizona hesitant to cross a boundary and Callie knee-deep in her past.

Callie reached out and pressed the necklace into Arizona's hand squeezing tightly.

"Throw it away."


	7. Chapter 7

**~~My sincere apologies for the hiatus. Experienced a little bit of writer's block, but I think I've found my streak again.**

**To clarify: the flashback from Chapter 5 was an unintentional overdose, not an attempt at suicide. Susanna's character, as I'm beginning to discover myself, is very complex with multiple layers. Callie watched Susanna battle with depression all throughout their years together. Chapter 5's flashback was one of the first, severe episodes Callie saw. This chapter is another piece to the puzzle. Trying to increase word count and descriptive flow...it's happening slowly but surely :) Comments please! As always, thank you for reading! ~~ **

The early morning dim began its seep through the bedroom curtains as Colleen sat up with her phone still in-hand. Her eyes settled on the blinking screen. _Call time 1:06_. The exchange had been short and unsettlingly so.

Normally the length of their conversations was never pertinent and the time rarely noted, but something seemed odd. Was it the abrupt ending? Or was it the lack of genuine tone? Colleen didn't know…but Arizona's disinterest in the intended flirtation sat uneasily with her.

There she was half-naked in the blonde's bed and all she got was a "Sorry, babe. I'll call you later." It was so unlike Arizona to be so distant, even if they were only nightly solace to each other in a lonely bedroom.

Insecurity began its takeover as the brunette reached down for her clothes—the air seemed colder now. After slipping into her wrinkled scrubs, Colleen grabbed her keys off the bedside table. She needed a drink to chase the chill away.

* * *

The morning came and with it the Seattle rain. At this hour the streets were quiet—the calm before the morning rush. Seattle Grace Hospital began its preparations for the new day. Night nurses clocked out and the morning shift trickled in one by one.

"Where the hell is Robbins?!" Alex Karev thought rubbing at his sunken eyes. He peeked into the NICU hoping that he'd find her there checking charts, but had no luck.

"Could she have gone home? No, not after a surgery like that….She should do her own freakin busy work." Exhaling heavily he turned his focus back to the tiny humans.

* * *

Arizona waited until Callie had fallen asleep before slipping out the door. Walking towards an on-call room, she felt the night's weight fall heavily on all her muscles. It had to be nearly 8 AM and she was scheduled for surgery in two hours. Though her day hadn't yet started, the imminent stress already haunted her.

What had her residency trained her for if not for a night like the last?

It was then that Arizona remembered the metal object pressing into the palm of her hand. Uncurling her fingers there it was, a simple shape, silver and unblemished by any jewel or diamond—just Susanna's words.

The locket's imprint left a dull pain in Arizona's hand. Callie had given her such forthright directions, yet Arizona wasn't sure she could dispose of it. It undoubtedly meant a great deal to Callie, and certainly so to its giver. Staring hard at the cursive adornment, Arizona slipped the locket into her pocket. She would determine its destiny after some sleep.

* * *

_Sofia, nearly 9 months-old, crawled into her mothers' bedroom. Her round eyes were bright with wonder and hungry for attention. Looking around she indulged in the colors of the room—the blue in the walls, the red in the bed sheets. She searched further for any sign of movement and cooed as she found one of her mothers standing over the dresser. _

"_Hi baby," a sweet voice spoke. "How's my girl? Were you looking for Mommy?" Susanna reached down bringing her daughter up into an embrace. The little girl giggled at the kisses she received. _

_Susanna dangled a silver chain in front Sofia. Small hands stretched out to grab the shiny object and Susanna laughed at her daughter's efforts. _

"_It's pretty, isn't it? You think Mami will like it?" Sofia continued her admiring babble over the necklace. _

_Though Susanna was smiling, her eyes spoke differently. Unlike their normal, vibrant blue, they were clouded and grey—indication of a manic episode. She had been in the middle of writing Callie a note when Sofia crawled into the bedroom. There wasn't much time, and she needed to write out everything. _

_Sofia, now atop the freshly made bed, found interest in her toy elephant. Frantically Susanna resumed her scribble on a crinkled receipt she had in pocket from this morning's pharmacy run. _

_She began with an apology. It was too much. She wasn't enough and she didn't belong. She was selfish and Callie deserved better, Sofia deserved better. _

**"_My love, my light—_**

**_I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry. For everything, for all the pain, for all the worry. _**

**_In my ordinary life, you were my lucky break. I never believed those Hollywood love stories…they were all a bunch of bullshit to me, that is until I met you. _**

**_You gave me all of you and without question. Don't think that I ever needed more from you, because it wasn't that. I needed more from myself. _**

**_You are amazing. And you deserve more than the ordinary love I gave to you. Both of you do. You deserve far more. _**

**_Thank you for loving such a selfish soul. _**

**_-Susanna"_**

* * *

**Readers: Let me know if you would prefer longer chapters that are more intricately written...or if you enjoy the current pace and flow?**


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